A new cultivar of blackberry called ‘Von’ is described herein. The new cultivar originated as an open-pollinated seedling from bulked seed collected from a population of F1 seedlings from the cross of NC 194 (non-patented)×Navaho (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,679, expired) located at the Upper Piedmont Research Station, Reidsville, N.C. in 1995. The seeds resulting from this uncontrolled hybridization were germinated in a greenhouse in the spring of 1996 and planted in a field at the Sandhills Research Station, Jackson Springs, N.C. The seedlings fruited during the summer of 1998, and one seedling, designated NC 430, was selected for its late season of ripening, large uniform fruit size, excellent fruit quality, excellent plant health, and thornless canes.
In the summer of 1998, the original plant selection was first propagated asexually from leafy stem cuttings, in Raleigh, N.C., and initially a test plot of 10 plants was established at the Upper Piedmont Research Station, Reidsville, N.C. in 1999. Subsequently, a replicated trial planting was established with asexually propagated plants at the Piedmont Research Station, Salisbury, N.C. in 2007. In 2009, two additional replicated trials were established at the Upper Mountain Research Station, Laurel Springs, N.C. and at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station, Mills River, N.C. Additionally, the cultivar has been tested at farmer test plots in Rocky Point N.C., Hendersonville, N.C., Bailey, N.C. and at State or Federal Research Stations in OR and AR. At each location, propagation was from leafy stem cuttings from the Salisbury N.C. test plot.
The new cultivar has been asexually multiplied annually since 1999 by the use of leafy stem cuttings and by adventitious shoots from root cuttings. During all asexual multiplication, the characteristics of the original plant have been maintained and no aberrant phenotypes have appeared. Thus, test plantings over a wide geographic area have shown this new cultivar to be adapted to differing soil and climatic conditions. The new cultivar has been named the ‘Von’ cultivar.